Artist Spotlight: Tyler Stitt of Iconium
Meet the reflective indie artist based in Minneapolis.
Hi Pal,
Welcome to Artist/Band Spotlight. This is a newsletter where I have short introductory conversations with artists and bands on the Christian music scene.
Bio: My name is Tyler Stitt. I was raised in West Michigan, and now I live in Minneapolis with my wife, Kristin, and our one-year-old son, Aidan. I’m an assistant worship director in our church, while also having the joy of being a stay-at-home dad four days a week.
My debut album,
Measurelessness, released this month, and it has been a huge project that I’ve been working on for about three years, with help from lots of great friends and collaborators.
Q: Hi, can you talk to us about your inspiration and motivation for creating music?
I draw inspiration from anything and everything. Certainly, great artists and musicians—anyone from S. Carey and As Cities Burn to Ratboys and John Mark McMillan. I often draw out lyrical material from the books I’m reading or theological ideas I’m contemplating. Nature is another big inspiration, which comes up a lot in my lyrics.
The name Iconium has been rolling around in my inside me for years, and when it came time to pick a name for this project, it just felt right. On the one hand, there’s not much to it, I just thought it sounded cool. But it’s also a place name in Acts, specifically a place where Paul fled to escape from persecution, a place of relief. That resonated with me.
Q: How would you describe your sound and your creative process?
I would say my sound is very eclectic. Indie rock might be the most common denominator, but there are moments that are most acoustic, moments that are heavier, and moments that are more experimental. I really think of the album as a cohesive piece of music with a pretty broad palette of sounds, like a story with lots of different twists and turns. I hope that it feels unified; I think I achieved that.
As far as my creative process, I usually have seasons where I’m collecting little ideas here and there, searching for inspiration whenever I can, and other seasons where my ideas suddenly become very clarified, and I can arrange all those little ideas into complete songs. At first, I’m feeling something in the dark, and then I eventually figure out what it is I’m trying to say. Being attentive to what season I’m in feels key.
Q: How has 2023 been for you so far musically and what can folks expect from you for the rest of the year?
It has been such a gift to collaborate with so many great artists in the homestretch of completing the album. Andrew Horning mixed it for me, and we worked together closely on that. Edith Lopez, an incredible artist from Peru, supplied the centerpiece for the album art, and she was a joy to meet and work with. I am so proud of the album and couldn’t be more grateful to share it.
For the rest of the year and into 2024 I’ll be helping produce an album of original congregational music from songwriters in my church. After being so focused on my own stuff for so long, it’s really refreshing to change gears and be part of such a collaborative project where I can support the amazing artists in my community. But of course, I’ll always be writing, too.
Here are some final thoughts from Tyler Stitt.
Thanks to Tyler Stitt for taking the time to meet us.
Listen to Iconium here:
Apple Music • YouTube • Other Links
Connect with Tyler Stitt here:
Also, if you’re open to supporting my work, consider Buying Me A Coffee.
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